Anchor



g- 1940- w. A. RICHARDSON ANCHOR Filed Dec. 22, 1938 Patented Aug. 6, 1940 I UNITED STATES PATENT orrl-cs 2 Claims.

This invention relates to anchors, and with regard to certain more specific features, to rail anchors for correcting end-creep.

Among the several objects of the invention may 5 be noted the provision of an anchor for effectively correcting rail end-creep; and the provision of apparatus of the class described which is simple in form and easily applicable. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is illustrated one of various possible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a railroad track showing application of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the anchor in relation to an adjacent tie, but showing the rail removed; and,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

7 Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawing. i

0: Creep in railroad tracks is caused by permanent forward rail displacement brought about by the forward motion of the wave that runs ahead of a train in motion. As the wave is flattened out by the Weight of the engine and train, there is a 5; slight permanent forward movement of the rail. All movement is forward, because the train or engine weight holds down the track behind the wave to provide a reaction point from which the rail advance (creep) is made by the flattening of the wave. Successive waves caused by successively passing trains integrate individual small increments of creep to large and undesirable values.

Although the permanent forward motion for the passage of each train is relatively slight, it is accompanied by a very great endwise force. This is because the work input into the rail is by means of the heavy locomotive weight (force) exerted through a relatively large downward rail deflection. This work is delivered from the rail as a relatively great force directed endwise of the rail operating over a relatively small distance, the latter distance being the distance of permanent creep for each traverse of a locomotive over the rail in question. The creep is greater the higher the wave, and the height of the wave is dependent on the conditions of track maintenance, Thus so-called swinging track will creep more than that wherein the surface is maintained on ties that are firmly embedded in ballast of sufficient weight to hold them.

The total creep over any given period of time is the summation of the relatively small amounts of creep above referred to, that is to say, the effect of creep is cumulative.

Heretofore so-called rail anchors have been 0 used whic-h consist of rigid rail attachments rigidly abutting one or more ties. The theory of operation of such anchors has been that the original increment of creep associated with one traverse of a locomotive is prevented by a reaction 15 force. However, the individual endwise creep forces are so great that it is impractical to resist them. The result, as shown in practice, is that the old type of rail anchor is not effective. This ineffectiveness of prior rail anchors shows itself 25 particularly at grade crossings with double tracks wherein the creep on one track is opposite to the creep in the adjacent track and wherein the force due to creep is applied to turning the crossing frog. 25

The present invention permits initial creep to occur upon traverse of the locomotive (andattached train) and then, after passage, causes correction of this creep, rather than attempting to resist the forces which initially occur. By this 3'5 means, the onset of creep is prevented at its incipiency.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, there are shown at numerals I ties which are laid in suitable ballast to hold them in place in the 3 ordinary manner. Rails 3 are supported upon tieplates 5 and fastened against lateral displacement by means of the usual spikes l.

The new anchor comprises a main clamp block 9 and an auxiliary clamp block ll preferably dovetailed as shown at spacing l3 and provided with aligned openings IS. A draw bolt l1 passes through the openings l5 and with a nut I9 is adapted to force together the clamps 9 and II, so that claws 2i thereon grip theflanges 23 of the respective rail 3.

Pairs of holes 25 are formed in the clamp 9, preferably symmetrically with respect to the center line of the rail 3 to receive U-bolts 21.

1 These bolts each have a portion 2 surrounding the 50 leaves of a leaf spring 29. The bolts are held in clamping engagement by means of a plate 3| which receives the reaction of nuts 33 threaded to the U-bolts 21. Nuts 35 on the other side of the clamp 9 serve, with the nuts 33 acting as 55 after passage of every train.

the rail 3. They are adjusted to a position adjacent a tie I. The adjustment is so made, before tightening the bolt I1, that the spring 29 rests against the adjacent tie with only little or perhaps no deflection in spring 29.

The direction of motion of a train is indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. This motion is such that the wave in the rail which runs ahead of the engine causes the spring 29 to be forced against the stationary tie l and to deflect in accordance with rail creep. Then, as the locomotive and the following train weight down the rail above the respective tie, the spring is maintained in a deflected condition. In this condition it has stored energy from the Wave, which energy was supplied by the advancing locomotive as above described.

Then, as the locomotive and train proceed, the unloaded rails behind the train, which are under the reaction of the springs 29, will be forced back (against the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1) into their initial'positions. Under certain circumstances of train weights, swinging track, rail and tie friction etc. it may be that several individual increments of creep will be needed to occur before the integrated value of displacement is enough to deflect the springs 29 enough to cause a reaction after train passage great enough to return the rail to itsproper position. This simply means that a rail correction is effective after passage of a number of trains, instead of Thus it may be that the initial deflection of the spring caused by one engine traversal may not be enough to build up a reaction great enough to return the rail back to its initial position, but with repeated train passages, there will ultimately be built up enough reaction to accomplish this. In any event the creep is corrected long before it becomes substantial.

It is contemplated that a substantial initial deflection may, if necessary, be placed in the spring 29 while adjusting the position of the clamps 9 and l I on the rails, in order to gain best results under some circumstances. spring obeys Hookes spring law; that is, deflection is proportional to loading. Thus, by initially deflecting the spring (pre-loading it), less creepage is required to bring the spring up to a condition to provide a reactive force which will return the rail after passage of a train. Thus, initial creepage is reduced and with enough initial deflection may be eliminated almost altogether. It is clear, however, that the initial deflection should not exhaust the total deflection of the spring, because an added increment of The deflection beyond the initial deflection is necessary for obtaining a rail-returning reaction after train passage so as to return the rail to a position which is at the end of its initial creepage.

It will be understood that the anchors may be used in connection with all or any desired number of ties and may be used on either or both rails. They may be staggered or located oppositely, as conditions require.

From the above it will be seen that a broad principle of the invention is in the placement of a resilient member between rail and tie which takes up thrust endwise of the rail as the train approaches and which returns said thrust to replace the rail after the train passes.

Although the leaf spring shown with its two lateral contact points 31 against the tie I is a simple and advantageous form of resilient member, it will be understood that other resilient means may be used, such as coil springs, artificial rubber blocks-that willwithstand weather, and the like.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it isintended that all matter contained in the above description orshown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and notin a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A-rail anchor comprising a clamphaving' jaws for gripping a rail flange at any of various longitudinal. regions and adapted to receive endwise thrust for application to an adjacent tie or the like, a draw-bolt for clamping said jaws against the flange, a leaf spring having the planes of its leaves arched and having a central portion and endwise portions, said clampha-ving exclusive means for supporting said-leaf spring centrally and as an arch between it and the tie or the like, and said clamp being adjustable on the rail flange operatively to bring the endwise portions of the leaf spring into contact with said tie or the like.

2. A rail anchor comprising a clamp having means for gripping a rail and adapted to receive endwise thrust along the rail for applicationto an adjacent tie or the like, a leaf-spring having a plane at least some of which is arched, said spring having a central portion at the arch for receiving rail thrust from the rail and for exclusive support by the clamp and having endwise portions laterally located with respect to the rail, said leaf-spring contacting a tie at a plurality of substantially spaced reaction points" at said endwise portions which are lateral of, the rail.

WILLIAM A. RICHARDSON; 

